Avart



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. BANNWART & E. ERMOLD.

OORKING MACHINE.

No. 311,634: Patented Feb. 3, 188 5.

ATTORNEYS (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. BANNWART '85 E. ERMOLD.

' GORKING MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 3; 1885.

rill!!! WITNESSES:

INVENTORS Un rnn ra'rns Parent rricn.

ALEXANDER BANNVVART, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, AND EDXVARD ER- MOLD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO XVITTEMANN BROTHERS.

CORl(lNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,634, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed March 12, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER Balsa WART, of Zurich, in the Republic of Switzerland, and EDWARD EaMoLD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Corking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved machine for cor-king bottles, jars, and other vessels, in which the cork is compressed, cleaned at the bottom, and then forced into the desired position in the b0l1t10 lll0llill before it can expand; and the invention consists of a supporting-pillar, a vertical plunger, means for vertically reciprocating the same, a corkguiding tube supported on a fixed bracket of the pillar in line with the plunger, a fixed cheek, and a laterally-reciprocating movable check for compressing the cork, a laterallyreciprocating wiper arranged intermediately between the cork-pressing cheeks and the cork-guiding tube, and a vertically-reciprocating clearer below the wiper that moves the bottle downward, so as to clear the corkguiding tube.

Theinvenl ion consists, further, ofcertain de tails of construction, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in section, of our improved machine for eorking bottles. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 8 and t are detail vertical longitudinal sec tions of the working parts of our corkingqnachine, showing them before and after driving the cork. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section 011 line at a", Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the reciprocating wiper.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

A in the drawings represents a strong snp porting-pillar, to which the operative parts of our improved corking-maehine are applied. The pillar A is supported on a base, A, having an outwardlyfiaring flange that forms a basin, A'-, for the drippings from the bottles.

To the square middle portion of the pillar A is rigidly clamped a horizontal bracket, B, by transverse boltsbbr The bracket B serves to support the cork-pressing cheeks O O, a laterally-reciproeating cork-wiper, D, a corkguiding tube, E, and a clearer, F.

Vertically above and axially in line with the cork-guiding tube E is arranged a vertical plunger, G, which is rigidly secured to a horizontal bracket, G, the sleeve-shaped end G of which is guided on the upper end of the pillar A. The plunger G is vertically reciprocated by a handlever, H, which is fulcrumed by a shaft, 71, to bearings of a rear bracket, A, of the pillar A, and provided with a weight, H, at the lower end. Two cranks, H*, are keyed to the shaft h of the weighted lever H, and connected by pivotrods H, one at each side of the pillar A. with the sleeve G By moving the lever H forward the plunger G is lowered, while by the return motion of the lever H the plunger is raised.

To the upper movable bracket, G, is at taehed afixed vertical rail, I, which is inclined at its lower part, the inclined portion projecting through a longitudinal slot, 2', to theinterior of the hollow pillar A, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The rail 1 passes downward between f riction-rollers t" of the central recessed shank, C of the laterally-reelprocating presser-cheek G, and through a slot, 1*, of the wiper-frame D, that is guided immediately below the checksC G. The fixed cork-pressing cheek C- forms the front part of the fixed horizontal bracket B,while the shank 0" of the movable cheek O is guided in a transverse recess of the square middle port-ion of the pillar. The wiper D is made of rubber or other elastic material and proj ects slightly above the top surface of the wiper-frame I), it being compressed by means of a washer, (Z, and clamping-screw d, as shown in Fig. (3. A circular opening, d,

equal in diameter with the cork-guiding tube E, is arranged near the wiper D, said recess registering with the opening of the cork-guiding tube when the wiper has been moved forward by the vertically-reciproeating rail I.

The wiper l) is of special advantage when bottling clear liquids of light color-such as Rhine wines, cider, lightcolored, ales and beers, &c.as it cleans the bottom of the cork of the adhering drops of dirty color that are 5 pressed out of the cork, especially when cheaper kinds are used, by the checks C.

When the corking-machine is to be used for bottling liquidsof darker color,the wiper may be dispensed with and the-machine worked without the same, the remaining parts operating in the same manner.

The clearer F is guided by a recess along the cork-guiding tube E, and is attached to the lower slotted end of a vertical rod, F, I which is guided by a short slot, f, atits lower end along a guide-pin, j", of the fixed bracket B, and by a longer slot,f on a guide-pin, f of the upper movable bracket, G. The pin f pushes against the lower end of the slot-f when the plunger is lowered sufficiently, and takes the clearer-rod F along as far as the end of the slotf and the guide-pin f will permit. By the upward motion of the followerrod the clearer-rod F is taken along again and the clearer returned into its normal position below the wiper-frame D. When the plungerG has pressed the cork into the guidetube E so far that its upper end is on a level, or nearly so, with the clearer, the latter begins its motion, whereby the machine is enabled to use any length of cork without special adjustment of the working parts.

The machine is operated as follows: By moving the hand-lever H forward, the vertical bracket G and the follower-rodG are lowered. The cork,which has been inserted into the open space between the presser-cheeks O O, is compressed by the forward motion of the movable cheek O, which forward motion is imparted by the pressure of the lower inclined end of the dependent vertical fixed arm having an inclined lower end, I, on one of the friction- 'rollers z" of the shank This arm is rigidly attached at its upper end to the movable bracket. Simultaneously with the compressing of the cork the wiper is moved forward past the bottom of the cork, so as to remove thereby any adhering impurities which are squeezed out of the cork by the presser-cheeks O C. .When the cork is properly compressed and wiped, the plunger G is in line with the circular opening d of the wiper-frame D and the cork-guiding tube E, at which moment the follower D presses upon the cork and forces it into the guide-tube E. As the cork passes downward the air and superfluous liquid escapes through the narrow annular space be tween the guide-tube E and the bottle-neek,so that no breaking of the bottle can occur. As soon as the lower end of the cork passes out of the guide tube it expands and closesthe bottle-neck. Simultaneously the clearer F is lowered in the manner before described, and thereby the bottle moved simultaneously downward off the guide-tube E. At the same moment the cork is forced out at the lower end of the guide-tube into the neck of the bottle. When the clearerFarrives at the lower end of the guide-tube E, the cork is entirely forced out of the same and transferred into the mouth of the bottle. The return motion of the lever H raises the upper movable bracket, G, and plunger G, returns the movable cheek C and the wiper D into normal position, the frame of the latter closing the openingof the guidetube ready for inserting the next cork.

It is obvious that in place of the weighted operating-lever H, a treadle mechanism may be used for working themaehine, or a belt and pulley transmission, in which latter case it is preferable to secure the base A of the pillar permanently to the floor or a bench.

The difterent parts of the machine perform their functions in an easy and reliable manner, and admit thereby the neat and rapid corking of bottles of all kinds.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, in a bottle-corking machine, of a vertically-reciprocating plunger,a

fixed cheek, and a laterally reciprocating corkpressingcheek,ahorizontal reciprocating wiper below the cheeks, a fixed cork-guiding tube, and a vertical]y-reciprocating clearer below the wiper, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination ofa vertically-reciproeating plunger, afiXed cork-pressing cheek, a movable cork-prcssingcheek, a wiper below the presser-cheeks, and means for laterally reciprocating the movable cheek and the wiper, substantially as set forth. v

3. The combination of the vertically-guided bracket, a plunger secured to said bracket, means for vertically reciprocating the plunger, a rail attached to the plunger-bracket, a fixed presser-cheek, a laterally movable presser cieek operated by said rail,and a wiper below the presser-cheeks, the wiper being also operated by said rail, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a supportingpillar, avertically-sliding bracket provided with a laterally-projecting pin, a plunger attached to said bracket, a fixed bracket provided with laterally-projecting pins, a cork-guiding tube attached to said fixed bracket vertically below said plunger, a clearer adapted to slide on said tube, and a vertically-slotted clearer-rod supporting said clearer and sliding upon and actuated by the said laterally-projecting pins, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a vertically-reciproeating plunger, G, a fixed presser-cheek, O, a laterally-reciprocating presser-cheek,O, a laterally-reciprocating wiper-frame, D, having a wiper, D, and a tubular opening, d adjoining the wiper, a cork-guiding tube, E, vertically in line with the plunger G, a clearer, F,

and aslotted clearerrod, F, that reciprocates our invention we have signed our names in the clearer, substantially as set forth. presence of two subscribing witnesses.

6. In a bottle-corking machine. a Wiper conl ALEXANDER BANNVVART sisting of a frame, D, an elastic wiper, D, D ARD ERMOLD 5 means for compressing the Wi per, and a circn- L 12m opening, 01*, adjoining the same, snbstan- YVitnesses: tially as set forth. OTTO RISOH,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as SIDNEY MANN. 

